Attachment for lineman&#39;s grip



Dec. 20, 1938. E. R. HARRY 2,140,837

ATTACHMENT FOR LINEMANS GRIP Filed Jan. 22, 1957 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES grass? T GFFIQE 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a linemans grip of the type used to engage with a wire to be tightened; the invention being directed particularly to, and it is my principal object to provide,

| a finger lever forattachment and use in connection with a lineman's grip and particularly that type of tool known as Kleins Chicago grip.

The purpose of the finger lever is to facilitate the separation of the wire engaging jaws. Heretofore, the jaws of the grip have been separated by the lineman grasping the entire tool in his hand and drawing the lever elements thereof together. This operation was quite awkward and especially difiicult when the lineman was wearing heavy work gloves, and is an objectionable feature which I have eliminated with my attachment. a

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a linemans grip in wire engaging position, and provided with my attachment.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the other side of the grip provided with the attachment.

Figure 3 is an elevation as in Fig. 1 but with the jaws of the grip in separated position.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the linemans grip, to which my finger lever is adapted to be attached, comprises a body 1 formed adjacent its forward end with a laterally offset, upwardly facing jaw 2, the jaw projecting a short distance ahead of the forward end of body I, as shown.

An upstanding lever arm 3 is pivoted at its lower end, as at 4, to the forward end of jaw 2, the arm engaging the jaw on its inner face and is thus disposed in the plane of the body I. As the forward edge 5 of the body slopes rearwardly from its bottom to top edge, the forward edge 5 serves as a stop for lever arm 3.

Another jaw 6 is disposed above jaw 2 and parallel thereto, the jaws being normally engaged. The forward end of jaw 6 is pivoted at I to lever arm 3 while a fixed pin 8 projects laterally from the side of said jaw adjacent its rear 5 end through an arcuate slot 9 cut through the body I. On the other side of the body, the pin 8 is formed with an enlarged head ill to prevent escape of the pin from the slot 9. 5

A pair of parallel links H straddle and are 5 pivotally connected at IE to the upper end of arm 3 and at the other end are provided with a cross pin 53 which is slidably disposed in a longitudinal slot ii in body I. A suitable compression spring 15 is mounted between the links and engages at its free end with an abutment [6 formed on the rear edge of arm 3. This spring normally maintains the elements of the grip in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and with the jaws in closed position.

A yoke I1 is connected at one end to the outer ends of pin I3 and is provided at the other end with a two pulley sheave block l8 which is employed with a rope I9 and another sheave block (not shown) to pull on the grip when a wire 20 is engaged between jaws 2 and 6.

Heretofore to open the jaws, the lineman grasped the tool with his thumb overlying links H and his index and middle finger engaging the forward end of jaw 2. Then, by squeezing with his hand, links H moved forward swinging arm 3 toward a vertical position resulting in jaw 6 being lifted away from jaw 2. Jaw 6 remains parallel to jaw 2 due to the pivot point I and pin 8 and arcuate slot 9 being arranged to produce such result.

However, it was difficult to so grasp the tool and operate it, especially when the lineman was wearing work gloves of heavy material. I have therefore provided an attachment which greatly facilitates the operation of the tool.

The attachment comprises a finger lever 21 having an enlarged upper end portion, said portion being pivoted at '22 adjacent its lower and forward edge on the body l (on the-side opposite the jaws) at a point ahead of and below the arcuate slot 9 through which pin 8 projects. The lower end of finger lever is formed with a relatively Wide laterally projecting finger rest 23.

The upper edge of the finger lever 2| is formed with a U shaped notch or slot 24, the enlarged head H) of pin 8 extending into this notch. The notch is so disposed that when the elements of the tool are in normal position, the finger lever 50 will be disposed at a slight rearward slope (see Figs. 1 and 2).

To operate the tool and open the jaws with the attachment, the lineman places his thumb over links I I and his index finger on the finger rest 23. 56

By then pulling back on finger lever 2|, much in the same way as firing a pistol, the lever moves rearward swinging the enlarged end portion of the lever about pivot 22. This advances pin 8 in slot 9 causing jaw 6 to move ahead, and as a result upwardly and away from jaw 2.

By reason of the use of the attachment, the jaws may thus be opened with less effort and without the necessity of handling the tool in the clumsy and difilcult manner as heretofore described.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A releasing device adapted for mounting on a wire gripping tool to separate the jaws thereof, said tool having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw above the same, a body disposed on the fixed side of the jaws and rigid with one jaw, a jaw closing means including an arm pivoted on said fixed jaw adjacent its outer end and pivoted intermediate its ends on the other jaw at the outer end thereof, said other jaw having a lateral guiding pin adjacent its inner end working in an arcuate slot in the body; said device comprising a hand lever adapted to be disposed on the side of the tool body opposite the jaws, means to pivot the lever intermediate its ends on the tool at a point intermediate the ends of the fixed jaw and below the movable jaw, the length of the lever from its pivot down being such that the lever depends clear of the body for operation; said lever rearwardly of its pivot being formed with a slot to receive the adjacent end of said lateral jaw pin and the position of the lever slot relative to the pivot point of the lever being such as to cause the pin to be moved in a jaw opening direction with a movement of the operating end of the lever in a direction away from the outer end of the tool.

2. A releasing device adapted for mounting on a wire gripping tool to separate the jaws thereof, said tool having upper and lower jaws at the front end thereof, the upper jaw being movable and the lower jaw relatively fixed, a yoke projecting lengthwise from the rear end of the tool, means mounting the movable jaw in connection with the fixed jaw for movement away from the latter in a forward direction and vice versa, and means connecting the yoke and jaw mounting means so that a rearward pull on the yoke will move the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw; said releasing device comprising a hand lever initially separate from the tool and yoke, means to pivot the lever intermediate its ends on the tool intermediate the ends thereof, the length of the lever from its pivot down being such that the lower end of the lever clears the tool for operation, and means between the lever ahead of and above the pivot and the jaw mounting means to cause the movable jaw to be pushed away from the fixed jaw with a movement of the lever about its pivot in the direction of the rear end of the tool.

EDWARD ROSS HARRY. 

